Man Sentenced to Five Years for Trafficking Crack Cocaine and Maintaining a Northeast, D.C. Stash Residence and Arsenal

Michael Tobias, 37 of Southeast D.C., was sentenced to five years in prison today for trafficking crack cocaine and maintaining a stash residence and arsenal, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Tobias pled guilty in August 2019 before the Honorable Beryl A. Howell in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Chief Judge Howell sentenced Tobias to five years of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.

           According to the government’s evidence, in June 2018, ATF agents and MPD officers began investigating the trafficking of narcotics from the 5200 block of Sheriff Road, Northeast, by narcotics traffickers that included Tobias. That block intersects the 900 block of 52nd Street, Northeast. During the investigation, law enforcement purchased 75 grams of crack cocaine from Tobias.

           During some of the drug purchases, Tobias would utilize a laundry room in the basement of 927 52nd Street, Northeast, to conduct his drug transactions. Video from the controlled purchases showed Tobias laying crack cocaine on the washer/dryer while counting the money provided by law enforcement for the drug purchases. As part of his plea, Tobias also acknowledged to using an apartment inside of 927 52nd Street, Northeast, to store, prepare, and package narcotics.

           On May 21, 2019, during a search of the apartment pursuant to a warrant, ATF and MPD officers recovered eight digital scales, approximately $4,000 in U.S. currency, numerous forms of packaging material consistent with drug trafficking, such as, sandwich bags and unused ziplocs, three BB guns (two in pistol format, one in rifle format), and extensive quantities of marijuana and marijuana edibles for distribution. Tobias used the apartment to traffic narcotics with the assistance of another occupant, who was present at the residence during the search warrant. The occupant also had keys that led to an electrical closet in the basement laundry room, where a firearm and a small arsenal was recovered. In a ceiling crawl space, ATF and MPD officers recovered: (i) a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol; (ii) eleven magazines, with a number of extended magazines, some of which were loaded; (iii) 862 rounds of ammunition in eight different calibers; (iv) a digital scale; (v) empty ziplocs for the packaging of narcotics; and (vi) firearm and ammunition boxes. The occupant, who assisted Tobias in the trafficking of narcotics from the stash residence, was murdered on July 9, 2019 while sitting in a vehicle two blocks away from the stash residence.